BirdofBahrain

2018-03-31

Good movement seen on the shore

March is that time of the year when the number of waders on the shore numerically starts to peak while in the gardens and desert areas its time to spend quality time looking out for the chance of a real rarity - luckily this month certainly lived up to expectations on both counts.

But to start with a reality check -

Early in the month young Ali better know on twitter as shaggy @sahggy1991 contacted me to inform me that a real rarity - a Black-winged Kite had turned up for sale in a village pet shop - together we contrived the means to acquire the bird and when done to pass it on to our friends at Tails Veterinary surgery to be chipped and checked out for subsequent re-release back to the wild. A wild single Black-winged kite had been observed across northern Bahrain from mid January through February our second or third record was this the same bird well that was hard to tell from the data presented but it certainly was a youngster and in beautiful condition. It appeared fortunately not to have been in captivity very long. For me this was a first - What a beauty - was love at first sight - I was amazed at just how small and elegant the species is and although friendly it made it known, it wanted out. Thus after its medical and a few days in isolation, well fed to ensure a successful transition back to the wild the bird was successfully released one evening in an extensive area of gardens along the west coast. Should it ever be recaptured being chipped will enable us to prove without doubt that it is indeed a wild bird and undertake a successful prosecution in the courts here.

Black-winged Kite

The Kite apart - the month also turned up another real rarity a male Finsch's Wheatear in Buri

Finsch's Wheatear

Fortunately during the period I also saw several Black-eared Wheatear always useful for making comparisons between the two species for identification but also was interesting in feeding behavior observed

Black-eared Wheatear

As epected on a large scale Pied Wheatear always dominate the early return of wheatear by numbers alone they seem to turn up everywhere - all ages both male and female

Pied Wheatear

Northern Wheatear never fail to impress at this time either as the first birds through are generally bigger and more colorful than later ones

Northern Wheatear

Desert Wheatear just one of many still around

Isabelline Wheatear still numerous

Another scarcity was the Mistle Thrush seen at Buri in the same general location as the Finsch's Wheatear but it was never as obliging
Mistle Thrush

A big surprise however was the White-tailed Plover that turned up at Hamalah over grass
White-tailed Plover

Woodchat Shrike good numbers this year

Cinereous Bunting two birds seen keeping company with the more frequently seen Ortolan Bunting

Meadow Pipit

Collared Dove one of the many

Barn Owl a pair at their nest site at the Bahrain Fort

Bluethroat

Bee-eater large passage mostly late evening with few seen down on the deck for good photography

Chiffchaff

Lesser Whitethroat

Redstart

Leucistic Sparrow

Marsh Harrier

Desert Warbler a common wintering species

Glossy Ibis - 4 of the 12 wintering around Askar Marsh area

Now a resident breeder in my garden in Manama - one of my pair of Graceful Prinia

Grey Francolin now also regular in my garden

Great Grey Shrike

Hoopoe a now well established breeding species

Isabelline Shrike

Yellow Wagtail Fledegg

White Wagtail one of the thousands wintering

Crested Lark - remarkably resilient a locally breeding species of town and country

Water Pipit just one of the many

Tawny Pipit always a regular across agricultural areas and all desert fringes

Isabelline Shrike - Durian

Striated Heron at the northern Tubli outfall must now be regarded as a scarce but resident breeder

Wood Sandpiper - wintering numbers this year have been better than in previous winters

Green Sandpiper good numbers wintering too

Common Sandpiper a regular often in considerable numbers

Marsh Sandpiper one of several wintering at Askar

Little Ringed Plover just the one at Askar

Pin-tailed Snipe at last one out in the open

Snipe

Cattle Egret coming into breeding plumage

Black Headed Gulls at Hafeera quarry site around the watering hole just one frame of a few of the tens of thousands at the location daily

2018-02-28

February brings an environmental disaster to Adhari Wetlands Breeding Birds

An injury to my back kept me housebound for much of the month but it did not stop me recording the wanton Destruction of the prime breeding habit for 30 species of bird at Adhari. The importance of Adhari cannot be over emphasized. 30 breeding species is representative of nearly half the total species breeding in Bahrain, furthermore ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE 159 of the 330 species occurring in Bahrain have been recorded at the site. It is with out doubt the most important single site ornithologicaly speaking in the country in terms of the diversity of species recorded.

There is not an animal on earth, nor a bird that flies on its wings, but they are communities like you...

Qur'an 6:38

Little Bittern in breeding plumage at Adhari before it was turned into a residential wildlife disaster zone - Sadly this Bittern is but one of the many breeding species previously resident at Adhari that will now have to look for a new home with the sites total destruction and the wholesale removal of all suitable breeding habit at a time coinciding precisely with the start of their breeding cycle - Thank you Municipality and your contractors for such wanton destruction - your ignorance of good management techniques of natural habitats and wildlife in Bahrain just beggars belief -

Adhari ditch before clearance

Answer me this who ever is responsible "How Does this type of wholesale clearance of a prime wildlife wetland habitat at the start of the breeding cycle for the wildlife dependent on it, fit into Bahrain's declarations on SDG's" Justify your actions - your methodology - your reasoning not just to me but to the people of Bahrain.

Adhari ditch during clearance

A ditch being cleared - a clear case of, from a mismanaged but green oasis into a sludgy hell for one pair of Night Herons, 2 pairs Moorhen, 2 pairs Squacco Heron, I pair little Bittern - All have lost nest sites just in this small section alone not to mention the White-cheeked Bulbuls, Clamorous Reed Warblers and Prinia and other marine species like terrapin displaced.

This is in my opinion, an Environmental Disaster of unprecedented proportions - Who ever sanctioned this work should be held ACCOUNTABLE along with all other agencies involved in wildlife protection and natural resources here in Bahrain - this whole episode is a National disgrace, you should be ashamed that such mismanagement is tolerated, worse still is officially sanctioned. To me this is environmental destruction by the back door, by the very people we are told daily in the local press, that CARE. After the next edition of the Bahrain Animal Production Show (Mara'ee) that will be held from March 27 to 31, what will we read in the local press? Nothing no doubt but praise, sung loudly, for these same mismanaging so-called environmental champions. Will any question marks be raised at the event or in the press reports after as to those champions success rate in the mismanagement of such a vital national resource. Will any red flags be waved to ensure that what passes for habitat protection or maintenance at Adhari doesn't happen again elsewhere. I think not. I expect that much of that which will be reported after the Mara'ee event on environmental issues and its protection would be more worthy of featuring, in fact headlining at events such as Bahrain's Comic Con 2018. The reality is far more shocking however than I have stated unfortunately, this wanton destruction of a prime and unique wetlands site is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the mismanagement of natural resources here in Bahrain. As far as I am concerned - A line has now been crossed so if my ranting have offended someone in authority GOOD - maybe we can now get some real action on these important issues - there are simply no more magic carpets left to brush the grains of truth under.

Now breeding record at Adhari Asian digger

But back to the Birds elsewhere - NONE of which where photographed at any of Bahrain so called declared wildlife reserves all where recorded that is found in unprotected Habitat including Adhari before its destruction
Think about that for a second

2018-01-31

January the bonus of a few rarities Part 2

On returning from the UK my first port of call had to be the Hypocolius morning roost adjancent to Jasra Water Pumping Sation - it was pleasing to see so many - probably well over five hundred birds pass through the site between 06:30 and 08:00 THE PEAK BEING AROUND 07:00 - this will creep earlier as the time passes keeping pace with sunrise.

Hypocolius

Male

Female

Close to Hamalah farm in adjacent scrub thanks to birding friends I was finally able to get up close and personal with a Great Spotted Cuckoo

Not a lot seen at Adhari just too much disturbance at weekends but a visit did provide closeups of a Spotted Crake and Clamorous Reed Warbler
Spotted Crake

Clamorous Reed Warbler

and Bluethroat

At Hamlah Farm the problem was finding birds the site was relatively quiet and birds were often easily spooked
Richards Pipit is a species they I have been chasing for years I have seen dozens but could never get close enough for a decent phtograph well now I have and what a hind claw they have.

2018-01-30

January was a busy month with the bonus of a few rarities Part 1

After a late return from the UK the remainder of the month was really exceptional - not a lot of species around mind but what did turn up was exceptional, hence a rather long posting split into two parts

Starting at Askar Marsh
The White-tailed Plover seen in December was relocated keeping company with numerous Snipe, Sandpipers, Shanks, Stilts, Herons, Glossy Ibis and common Kingfishers
White-tailed Plover

Snipe

Green Sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Kingfisher

Glossy Ibis

Pooping on the wing

Little Grebe

Green Shank

Western Reef Heron now in breeding plumage

Squacco Heron

Purple Gullinule (SwampHen)

White Wagtail

Water Pipit

But the bird of month or rather the species of the month observered at Askar has to be the two Pied Kingfishers that turned up in the last week of the month however intitialy it was thought there was only one

Pied Kingfisher

r" title="Pied Kingfisher" />

Manama Seafront at Bahrain Bay can provide some interesting opportunities for interesting shots of fishing or roosting birds

2017-12-31

December a short month for Observation

With Christmas and then the New Year- December is alsways a short month and also with January normorally fairly quiet but for a few the appearance of some Calandra Larks at Hamalah changed all that. With a single Observation in 1982 it was really nice to be able to get to grips with this species with a camera in Hand. Found in a mixed flock of hundreds of other larks conataining a few Bimaculated but mostly Skylarks it was hard work sifting through them to spot our wayward intoloper.

Calandra Lark

At Ras Tubli the Staiated Heron now resident showed briefly at the back of the mangrove at the same spot where the juvenile was last seen

White-crowned Black Wheatear winter on the Jebel wonder if its white cap will develope before it leaves

Steppe Buzzard on the Jebel Dakhan proved a delight

Starling a large wintering flock near the Refinery never settled unfortunately for a photo session

You can now find me on twitter

Welcome To Hawar-Islands.Com

Home of the
Bahrain Bird Report
On line since 1994

Follow the links above and below to
visit your area of interest.

There are many images on this website - most are bigger than normal but are however subject to the same copyright as on any other site.
For educational use please contact us first via twitter
For commercial use high resolution uncropped versions of these images and others not included here are available please see contacts on the various pages.